My Colon Resection Operation: What you Can Expect from this Operation

A bad bout of diverticulitis caused an abscess in my lower colon last January, and things only got worse from there, causing the need for me to undergo an operation known as a colon resection. The piece of my colon, or large intestine, called the sigmoid, which is close to the rectum, had developed an area that had constricted, making passage of any stool through it both painful and extremely difficult. I underwent a barium enema that allowed my doctor to get a contrasted image of the affected region of my colon; it revealed that I would need a colon resection, a sigmoid resection to be exact.

The surgeon explained the procedure to me in detail and answered all of my questions. He explained that he would make an incision below my belly button, straight down, and then go in and remove the bad piece of colon. He would then reattach the two sides which would allow me to be as good as new once they healed. The operation would last about an hour and a half and I would be in the hospital for perhaps a week before I could go home.

The day prior to my colon resection I had to ingest a small bottle of mag citrate, a laxative that would make me clean out during the day so that the surgeon would be able to perform the procedure without stool in my digestive tract. I drank only clear fluids the entire day and took the laxative at 2 in the afternoon. The mag citrate made me go as expected but it wasn't as unpleasant as many other products on the market that serve the same purpose. The day of the colon resection I arrived at the hospital at 10:30 in the morning. I reported to the Ambulatory Care Unit where I was ushered into a room and told to undress. I was given a hospital gown to put on and all of my clothes and my bag were tagged to be sent to my room later on. I had left my wedding ring and gold chain that I usually wear at home, per instructions.

The nurses started an IV line in my left arm through which I would receive fluids and drugs for the operation and recovery period. My vital signs were taken and I was given a sedative to relax me. The anesthesiologist met with me and asked me some questions and explained what he would be doing during the course of the operation. I was told that my operation would take place in about an hour. When it was time I was wheeled into the elevator and taken to the operating room where I was given a stronger drug called Versade that really took the edge off things. Then I was given the drugs that would keep me out for the sigmoid resection and I fell asleep quickly.

My next memory was of nurses scurrying about in the recovery room. They told me the operation was over and had gone well. I was in recovery for a bit before being moved to my own room. I had a bag of Ringer's Solution hanging above me and dripping into my IV, as well as a pump set up that delivered a dose of morphine whenever I needed it to relieve the pain. My incision had been stitched up and had what are known as Steri Strips holding it together. The pain was very noticeable when I moved around but it was by no means overwhelming. I was not allowed to eat or even to drink anything since the doctor did not want anything solid in my digestive tract while the sigmoid resection healed.

The surgeon came into my room and explained that he had to remove a small ball of scar tissue that was pressing on my bladder along with the 7 inch section of constricted colon. The scar tissue was the result of the January abscess caused by diverticulitis. He told me that he had had to reattach the two sides by hand instead of stapling them as is the norm since he did not have enough colon to work with to use the stapling machine. But this was nothing to be alarmed over.

The morphine that I was taking about four times an hour made me itch so I was given some Benadryl through my IV to help stop the discomfort. I slept now and then and when I had to use the bathroom to pee the nurses would help me up and get me to the toilet. When I was done they helped me back into bed; the whole time I was still attached to the IV pump that had to be wheeled alongside me. After two days I was allowed a clear liquid diet, and after three I was able to eat some solid food. Once I began to pass small amounts of stool I was told I could go home. I eventually was able to leave the hospital just four days after my colon resection. I was instructed to eat small meals of soft foods and avoid anything that would constipate me. I went home and that night had a somewhat normal bowel movement, a testament to the success of my sigmoid resection.